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Iowa schools make lemonade out of a lemon of a collective-bargaining law

The Register's editorial
Published 4:22 p.m. CT Nov. 19, 2017

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Despite Democratic opposition, the Iowa Legislature gave final approval to legislation that will dramatically scale back Iowa's collective bargaining law that governs union contract negotiations with state workers.
The Register

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The Iowa Capitol Rotunda was packed, mostly with union members, when the Legislature considered a bill that limits collective bargaining for Iowa's 184,000 public employees.(Photo: William Petroski/Des Moines Register)Buy Photo

This year the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature disregarded public concerns and rammed through legislation to essentially neuter public-sector unions and strip rights to negotiate working conditions and job benefits from thousands of public employees. The bill, signed into law by former Gov. Terry Branstad, affects every city, county, state agency and school district.

The Des Moines Register recently contacted nearly 30 school districts that have signed new teacher contracts since the law took effect in February and found several using their newfound flexibility to make positive changes.

In Waterloo, for example, teachers who work with the most challenging special education students will earn $6,000 more than other teachers with similar seniority and credentials. In Burlington, decisions about where teachers work are no longer based solely on seniority, which allows districts to match the right educators with the right positions. In Carlisle, teachers who break contracts to take a new job in another district face a penalty, which could discourage sudden departures that disrupt student learning and leave schools in a bind.

Some school officials speculate teachers could seek to influence district policies through local school board elections. It is elected officials who hire, oversee and fire superintendents. More Iowans may get involved in politics. Great. We hope these individuals will also turn out to vote against state lawmakers who ignore constituents and move at lightning speed to make major, short-sighted changes to Iowa law.

A thistle to public officials who misstate Iowa law and hide behind "personnel reasons" instead of giving information to the public.

The editorial board gave a thistle to Waukee school officials this month for their lack of transparency regarding an investigation of the district’s chief operating officer, Eric Rose. The report said Rose fabricated employee time cards, used school property for personal use and solicited more than $3,000 in donations for his son’s hockey team from district vendors.

Waukee officials have said the school board required Rose to reimburse the district and apologize to staff.

At a school board meeting this week, Waukee residents rightly demanded answers. Resident David Leonard questioned why Rose was still employed by the district and why he was given a 6 percent raise less than a year after the investigation concluded.

"Iowa law does prohibit us from discussing specific employees or their job performance," replied board vice president Wendy Liskey.

Really? What law is that?

It's time to put this myth to rest. Liskey — and many other public officials who use the same excuse — might be referring to an exception to Iowa's open records law that allows officials to keep secret "personal information in confidential personnel records." But it doesn't require it, nor does it prohibit officials from discussing an employee's job performance publicly. And compensation information for public employees is specifically listed in Iowa law as public information.

Waukee officials should explain to taxpayers why they won't say more about Rose — without seeking cover from a law that doesn't exist.